Sam Fender has handed over the full amount of his £25k Mercury Prize winnings to the trust for venues, which works to save the United Kingdom's grassroots live music spots.
He was given the cheque on mid-October as his latest record People Watching was declared the best record of the past year.
The musician has opted to hand the money over to the MVT, in appreciation of the essential function grassroots venues fulfilled in his early career.
"I would not have achieved my current career if it hadn't been for all the gigs I played around the region, and further afield, when I was starting out," stated Fender. "These locations are iconic, but they are struggling."
Since the start of 2023, more than 150 of these locations have shut down – approximately 16 percent of the entire UK sector.
Recently, major artists like Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the trust in its efforts to keep the scene afloat, by including a minor surcharge to their ticket costs, which goes to help smaller concert halls.
Fender also took part, collecting over £100k on his recent tour to support numerous small stages across England, Scotland, and Wales.
These funds helped spaces that were confronting possible closure due to challenges arising from floods, fires and bereavements, as well as regulatory hurdles, court cases and sound issues.
Other venues received monetary aid in improving infrastructure and gear that positively impacted musicians and concertgoers.
"The idea that revenue from shows in major spaces supports the independent spots, where it begins for artists like me, is just logical," Sam Fender has commented.
He is not the first artist to give his honor funds to charitable organizations.
When they received the award in 1996 for their release their work, vocalist Cocker stated that the band would contribute their prize money to the charity War Child.
In 2002, musician the artist shared her bounty between a few good causes, such as the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.
"Additionally, I gave a grand to my local community centre, to their classes, because I did gymnastics when I was younger and they required updated gear," she told outlets.
Two years ago, Ezra Collective contributed their prize money to the youth organization that developed their band, in addition to other grassroots music organisations.
Additionally 1994 winners they donated their winnings to a charity for MS after a friend was identified with the illness.
"The victory was sufficient," remarked artist the singer. "The money was the cherry on top but we didn't require the cherry, because we had the main prize. So our victory affected the lives of others."
Last week, the trust revealed it had saved two grassroots venues in the South East, by placing them under public stewardship.
The first in Southampton and the other in the city were bought under the public acquisition scheme, which is funded by the arts council and enthusiasts who buy "stakes" in the buildings.
